iKolam Karnival Bengaluru members meet - first half session

Meeting: iKolam Karnival – Bengaluru members meet

Attendees: Rajamma, Satya Prema, Ramya Akhila, Ramaa (Ramya’s Mother), Ganga(Ramya’s MIL), Sowmya(Ramya's siter), Rajitha, Pushpa, Nalini2255 :), Jayanthi, Usha Ravikumar, Indumathy, Rajee Shriram, Padma Prakash, Vidhya, Prameela (Sudha’s Mother) Lakshmi, Sudha, Sandhya (Sudha’s sister), Sudha’s Aunty (sorry forgot name), Satish, Raghu, Pawan, Vivek (Sudha’s son), Anirudh and above all two senior guests Lakshamma Lakshmana Rao and another lady (sorry ajji, I missed your name – Sudha can you please add)

Minutes:
Duration: 10:00am to 6:00pm? Wish we had more hours on this day

The long waited morning had just began….getting ready searching for my blue tee-shirt…oh oh not finding that favorite one, let me check the other, mom calling its already 8:10am when are you leaving…hurry fast…..got another blue, done, now run ….I wanted to make it much early to Sapthagiri residency and be first there…..haa my bike was not willing, it wanted to chill in the shed on a Sunday? …no waiting ….zoomed towards the bus stop and caught the bus, did not even check the board, then got down in the middle and took the second bus from city corporation office, which headed straight towards the destination. When I landed there oh my god so many Sapthagiris….were there seven? Then went a round and just took my cell and was trying to call Sudha and just then saw her trade mark rangoli at one entrance of the building and immediately was connected to Sudha, ‘yes its Sapthagiri -4 come up to 3rd floor, did u see the rangoli?’ said Sudha. Then as I headed towards the lift I saw someone whom I could compare, someone close to Pavan looks will he look the same after few years, then guessed it must be Mr.Lakshmiji…:).yes it was Raghuji (his tradenote “I am Lakshmi’s husband, then Raghu”). He immediately said you must be Anirudh, come over.

Then I opened the lift door at the 3rd Floor. Wow there was a grand welcome maavu padi kolam and a beautiful Sanskar bharathi kolam. I could imagine all the hardwork on the previous night by Sudhaji, Sandhyaji and Lakshmiji. I am sure they would not have slept the previous night….and then there were small maavu kolams, till I reached the door. Then there was a surprise…..Oh oh, how could this be?, all ladies dressed blue (wondered whether I am at work? blue color is our offical color too), have come so early and already chatting, so we say ladies first? :)and I am the late latif …if the same thing happened at office I could imagine, last person has to pay fine or do something all the first comers ask for., But there was Pushpaji, who came after me, so me fine :). Sudhaji came over to door and there was Lakshmiji an assistant camera-lady (for the Asthana cameraman?) with another camera greeted me inside. All members had made it early, good to see that they did not want to miss any the events planned for the day. On one side of the hall, we could see Lord Sapthagirivasa with his abode Goddess Padmavathi were having a dedicated beautiful flower-rangoli, we could imagine the hands of Lakshmiji & Sudhaji making it. Then I opened the banner for day, took help of Pavan to put it on the wall. Welcome to iKolam Karnival (why K for Carnival not C? I think everyone knows the answer, yes to rhyme with kolam (Sudhaji, your suggestion to continue the sikku kolam on the side border made it much more good looking)

Everyone was happy with it. …cute little girl came over and said, ‘PavanaNNa has made the same clowns for meeeeee…’. So, sweet voice. I am really sorry kanda, I forgot your name, Pavan please help me here.

Then there was a couple who came in, then Mr.Lakshmiji oops sorry Raghu Sir said this is my sister and her husband. Then “I am Nalini2255 of ikolam” declared the lady, yes it was Naliniji and her husband Mr.Satish. Already self introduction was in progress. But still we went another round to catch up the names. There were few more guests with members, who were eagerly wanted to be part of event & ikolam. Kids too were involved in the event and at every place we could see their involvement at their best.

The event was officially opened by Rajammaji lighting the lamp and Mr.Satish rendering a beautiful devaranama on Lord Rama by Purandarasaru. Then it was Rajammaji sharing her beautiful song “dayamaadu Sharade….” (I had got the lyrics for both the songs, but not sure whose bag got it in. Padmaji, did you take it by any chance, please share). Our professor is multi talented and also has multi-talented students (we all too. In meantime our hosts Sudhaji, Sandhyaji, Pavan, Vivek, got busy with serving us the welcome drinks and snacks. They were fully energetic and helping us to feel & be comfortable. Our Asthana cameraman was busy with his camera and also got his share of snacks & drinks, hope he got all energy for umpteen numbers of clicks.

The first session began with me sharing Origami flower, started with basic simple flower. As I opened the bag of colored papers, all the kids rushed towards me with their curious eyes. First flower was easy one, then we started to fold the traditional lily. Now the complications started, each one flower came out as a surprise with new variations. Kids were more eager to learn and wanted me more to fold, can u make another rose, can I get a butterfly? list went on. I have to do lots of homework next time so that I can have separate session for them. The next one was our Title Fold, the Neel Kamal. This was a team work, the base folds were done by all and then collated them to make the main flower. Raghuji stepped forward and offered it to the Lord, so Neel Kamal got its centre place in the heart of flower-rangoli as well as in the Lord’s heart.

Then we had our small girl, who sang a beautiful melodious devaranama….soooooo chweeeeeeeeeeet kanda, it was very very nice, please continue to learn and sing more. I was very much happy after hearing to this song as in this IT city, where we were on the path of missing all the daasa sahithya (songs by Purandaradaasaru, Jagannathadaasaru, & others) , there are few homes who still encourages and continue with the traditions. So simple, sweet lyrics easy to understand. Satish sir, please please we need to record and teach these songs and continue to the next generation. I was telling Rajammaji that I love all the old songs as they have beautiful lyrics and are more melodious and said PBS & SJ are my favorite…oh is it? She started humming some of the old songs of them. We chatted on Arushi’s blog on tODi raaga too

In-between there was a surprise, we got to hear Lata madam over the phone, the phone went merry go round (ringa ringa roses) and all of us had good talk with her. Lata, it was nice talking to you, we would need to meet you in your next visit to India or hope to get a chance to meet you in US, whichever way we would definitely be happy. Thanks a ton for bringing us together.

In meantime Indu madam was busy preparing for the demo on Sanskar bharathi rangoli, so the gang went to the big open space after the corridor of the apartment (Laksmiji/ Sudhaji have very good neighbors, the whole merry making did not disturb them, they were quite eager to leave space for us). Indu madam started with the basic steps how to draw circle, we always use compass, but for rangoli, where to get the big compass? So easy way use thread and the chalk to make it. She demoed how to hold the thread and make the circle and mark boundaries, split into regions. Normally we draw rangoli and then color, but here we color and then draw the rangoli. Isn’t it like photoshop, first give the background and then draw the image? See in India we had these much earlier without even computers, so be a proud Indian.

So we need to be careful while drawing this as the background is already made, so it would be difficult to make corrections. So, Induji gave us tips on how to make markings and pointers first and then draw the rangoli on the colored background. Our Hosts were busy here too, we got our drinks and home made chocolates and orange jellys to cool down the summer. But to say, it was cool day even though the Sun was hot, we could not feel any.

While Indu madam was giving finishing touches, we made a move to draw double lines. I showed how to draw using 3 fingers and where the powder needs to be left to make the parallel lines. This was really fun with Vidhya just posing to draw as her tries went in vain. Sorry Vidhya, better luck next or you need to use the kuzhal :), and you can draw 4 lines at a time, draw one get one free right :). Jayanthiji was little successful in making it. It was Ramya's MIL, who with better ease drew the double strokes also moving the hands in the reverse way….see the experience counts. Rajammaji, Padma Prakash, Rajitha, all started to draw double stroke designs. Lakshmiji shared a new border design which can be drawn in the same way of holding powder for double strokes. Jayanthiji’s design turned out be flying birds, so another innovation…shall we patent it….(see who talks :)). On the other side Indu madam had completed with the Sanskar Bharathi rangoli and a lamp was lit in the center to make it full. A wonderful master piece and soothening to the eyes.

The entire stage (the free space near to the entrance) was for us, now all of started of with our sharing. Padma Prakash with her borders, Jayanthiji with her sahasradaLa lotus. We had a special guest, while we were getting inside on the first floor we saw bright white rangoli drawn so nicely and we also felt the kolam powder is different. So, Sudhaji got her neighbor to give us a demo. She said that’s the nylon rangoli powder. She drew a cute border and a small rangoli, wow it looked like a stencil, perfect in symmetry and looked so beautiful. And we have asked her to become the member of iKolam, I think by now she would have already registered :).

Everyone was sharing something or the other, there was one who was only posing/ enacting, guess who :)? But with all the acting she did some good coloring for the completed kolams. She made the event more funnier and livelier ofcourse we had Raghuji’s share there too. Both made the event more enjoyable.

Now our maavu specialist Pushpa madam, demoed how to draw with the maavu. She got very nice bold lines done and our professor decorated the same with her special coloring skills and it was amazing. Next it was Rajitha & my turn to try drawing with maavu…see how coolly we did it and also took the coloring concept from our dear professor. Rajammaji also drew a maavu padi kolam. Indu madam, now came our side of the stage and showed match stick techniques of drawing rangolis. The design came out as a jewelry set, already ladies were planning for it hope for rangoli & not the jewelry… Raghuji, Satishji need to be careful

None of felt hungry as we were thoroughly engrossed in all the learning activities and by the way we were boosted with home made chocolates, now and then…I think we had enough glucose to forget all and just set our eyes/ hands and hearts in the kolam making.

TaN TaN TaN TaN TaN TaN TaN TaN TaN…..Sudhaji started to ring the lunch bell, are you guys not hungry? Come on let us feast our stomachs too.

second half session …to be continued